The MP's speech will not instill confidence in Western investors, and this could lead to a further refusal to provide military support to Ukraine

Negative comments from the MP will not support Western investors, which may become another reason for refusing further military assistance to Ukraine.

I read an article by Mark Bennetts in The Times dated December 22, 2023, “How will the war in Ukraine end? Victory over Russia looks “unlikely” (“How will the Ukraine war end? Victory against Russia looks “unlikely”)

The subtitle of the material is also not optimistic: “As the second anniversary of the invasion approaches, Kyiv moves to retaining its territory rather than defeating the enemy.”

I remembered a term from American jurisprudence - a gag order, known as a ban or termination order. This is when the judge prohibits the parties involved in the trial from saying anything publicly about what is happening there. Such a legal order from a court or government restricts the release or transmission of information and comments to any unauthorized third party. We are talking, in particular, about maintaining trade secrets, protecting police or military operations.

The fact is that the article in The Times is mainly based on the statements of Colonel Roman Kostenko, MP, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.

A few quotes:

“Right now, victory on the battlefield is extremely unlikely. This war could last for many years. For this, Russia has the resources, and its people will endure... I don’t think that now there are weapons that can greatly influence the outcome of the war. ATACMS missiles cannot make a breakthrough. Military planes? They can only help us achieve parity... I don't understand how we can defeat Russia with dozens of F-16s... We cannot afford to fight symmetrically with the Russians, attack like the Russians, lose people like the Russians, or recruit people like them. We need to find ways to lose ten times fewer people than they do. For us this is the only way, the only chance. Because mathematically, we will simply run out of people faster than theirs.”

Well, why did he tell this? For whom? Maybe it was precisely because of this article that journalist Alexey Pechiy, who went to the EU summit and did not return to Ukraine, decided to stay in the West? This is, of course, an ironic assumption. Sarcasm. But it can be assumed that such a leak of information from a SBU colonel is of interest to the FSB and to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation. Information that Ukraine is not preparing to liberate its territories is a gift for the enemy: for forecasting, for taking specific actions. Because it turns out that there really is no plan for victory in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The MP's reasoning will not add enthusiasm to Western investors. Now they will have an additional argument for refusing further military assistance to Ukraine. It’s logical: if the matter is hopeless, then why support the losers.

Mark Bennetts notes that the scale of Ukraine’s losses is classified, but that they are no longer trying to hide the huge losses. “I don’t even give new guys their call signs anymore. Most of them don’t last long,” said a Ukrainian military officer in Kharkov on condition of anonymity.

The author writes that Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, did not hide his disappointment over the delay in Washington in approving $60 billion in military aid after objections from members of the Republican Party. The future of EU military aid is also in doubt after Hungary, Russia's closest ally in Europe, vetoed a 50 billion euro package.

“The whole country will be torn apart before their eyes if a solution is not reached - and you will all cry and say: “It’s a pity for the Ukrainians who now do not have their own state, because they were killed in their country. Let’s arrange a concert for them”... Very humane,” Podolyak said sarcastically.

Gag order. It is high time to prohibit officials at all levels from publishing information that is too sensitive for the population, which can sow despondency and introduce demoralization.

I remembered the folklore colonel who, during a game of preference, passed on three aces...

This year we held the entire front line! With the enemy's unparalleled superiority. This is already a victory. Ukrainians have something to be proud of.